Posted in: Current News, Netflix, Opinion, TV, TV | Tagged: opinion, stranger things 5

Stranger Things 5: The Only Problem with Will's Coming-Out Moment? You

The only problem with Will Byer's (Noah Schnapp) coming-out moment during Stranger Things 5 is how some supposed "fans" are reacting to it.

With Netflix and Matt & Ross Duffer's Stranger Things 5 Volume 2 now streaming, and the series finale, " Chapter 8: The Rightside Up," only days away, we wanted to push back on one of the complaints we've seen gaining traction on social media. In S05E07: "Chapter Seven: The Bridge" (written by the Duffer Brothers & Shawn Levy; directed by the Duffer Brothers), Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) has a personal defining moment when he comes out as gay to his friends, family, and allies, in what was a beautiful, heartfelt, and heartbreaking moment. However, some individuals have criticized the scene as another example of Netflix attempting to impose its "woke agenda" on the streaming service's subscribers, and that it had no business being included in the final run of episodes. But here's the thing. They're wrong. They're like… dead wrong. As in, "Do you even watch 'Stranger Things,' bro?" wrong. Here's why they're wrong – and as a bonus, we're also blowing up the argument that Will picked the worst time possible to come out to everyone.

Will's Sexuality Has Been a Part of "Stranger Things" Since Season 1: If you're a "fan" of Stranger Things who's crying that Will's sexuality is being forced into the final season as part of Netflix's "woke agenda," then you clearly never watched the first season. Remember that moment when Joyce (Winona Ryder) reveals to Hopper (David Harbour) that Will's father used to call Will "queer" and "fag"? Considering any possible leads, Hopper asks Joyce, "Is he?" Although Joyce changes the subject to Will's disappearance and the actions being taken to find him, it was more than enough to establish Will's sexuality as a plot point for the streaming series. From there, and through the previous four seasons, Will's sexuality and his feelings for Mike (Finn Wolfhard) would be a hotly debated topic for years, with the series sprinkling additional questions about Will's sexuality between Seasons 2 through 4. If you're just realizing all of this now, that's way more of a "you" problem than something that the Duffers did wrong.

Will's Coming Out Moment was Honorable & Fitting for a Warrior: Will coming out to the group before they're about to head out for a final battle that some, if not all, may not be coming back from, was the perfect moment for that to go down. At this point, Will has become a crucial component in whatever they plan to do to shut down Vecna for good – and he knows it. For his own sake and for the sake of those who will be going into battle by his side, Will understood the importance of his making peace with himself and who he is. In that same vein, Will also understood that sharing the moment with the others was a way of reassuring all of them that he's heading into the final battle with as clear a mind as he's ever had. Symbolically, we're looking at a "warrior" who is making peace with his life before an epic battle, and doing it by having his fellow "warriors" by his side. Now, take a second and think back on all of the other films and television shows that included that very same thematic moment.

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